Electricity storage will become an important part of our daily energy usage. In response to this development energy operator Alliander launched a design competition under the title "The Art of Batteries" based upon the question "Design the new shape of electricity storage for the future." Five professional design teams and students from the Delft University of Technology were invited by Alliander to take part in this contest.

Winner Design Professionals
The project was won by a design team consisting of
Studio Since 1416 (Dirk Claessens and Maarten Verweij) and Studio Floris Schoonderbeek.

This team investigated the problem behind the question and concluded the solution must be based on a combination of storage and transportation of energy. The designers reformulated the question: "How do we get (central) generated green energy flexible and secure at the right destination?".

The answer was found within a existing situation where energy, energy storage and the need for energy are optimally united: the world of electric vehicles.

The design team presented a new electricity network based on the combination of a battery in electric cars for energy storage, the car itself for energy transport and the driver as a guideline for the personal needs of energy: a flexible, social and surprisingly efficient energy network.

Continuation
The design team will set up a project-team in collaboration with Alliander which will realize the winning design in the form of a concrete pilot project starting beginning of 2015. This pilot is considered a 'prototype' for a subsequent national network. Further details will be announced in the beginning of 2015.